


of stray kids and mountain men

by mamalovesherbagels



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: (if i ever finish this) it's gonna be a long complicated slow burn of a ride, fucking fight me, idk what this is but have fun, it's snowing outside and that inspired this lmao, mentions of alcoholism!! be warned, ooooh boy, so just fair warning, yes i am making chimney and eddie temporary boyfriends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:08:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29137590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mamalovesherbagels/pseuds/mamalovesherbagels
Summary: Chimney is just trying to raise his dead brother's daughter with his boyfriend Eddie who is also a single father, neither of them wanting to admit that it's a relationship of convenience that just isn't working anymore. Their only neighbor in their secluded cabin just outside of Lake Tahoe is their friendly alcoholic "Buck" who they also feel like they're also somewhat parenting. Then his sister Maddie shows up, looking for him after he completely dropped off the grid, and everything changes.
Relationships: Eddie Diaz/Howie "Chimney" Han, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley, Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han, maybe eventual buddie but i'm undecided
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	of stray kids and mountain men

Chimney sighs, rocking his… well he supposes he’s more like his daughter than his niece now… rocking his daughter-niece a few more minutes past when she fell asleep before he lays her down in her crib. She’s the cutest baby he’s ever seen and it still feels all wrong.

Luna is adorable, full of curiosity and wonder, and blissfully unaware of how much life has already taken from her in her ten short months on this earth. Her father had passed away saving someone’s life as a firefighter-- a job he had only had because Chimney had felt that particular calling first-- and Jane, her mother, had bled out shortly after giving birth.

He had thought, he had really _thought_ the baby would have gone to Kevin or Jane’s family but as it turned out Jane didn’t actually have any family and the Lees, as glad as they were to have a tangible being to remember their son through, were too heartbroken to take on raising a child that looked like Kevin. They had begged him to be Luna’s father, to take on the job of raising this sweet, innocent baby and as much as he wanted to say no, that he was nowhere near ready for parenthood he had found himself agreeing, not wanting to disappoint them or disappoint Kevin from beyond the grave.

So he had taken Luna into his arms and home, and then realized that his home didn’t actually feel like home anymore. It hurt too much to be in Los Angeles after both his mother and his brother died, and as much as he didn’t want to leave the Lees they both assured him that he should do anything he feels he needs to in order to keep himself afloat. It would be best for both him and Luna, they said.

Kevin’s parents and Eddie’s parents are pretty much their only visitors, barring their drunken neighbor with a heart of gold who won’t seem to go get help no matter how hard they beg him. Chimney can’t judge him, though, because if he didn’t have a baby to look after he’s fairly sure his life would have gone in a similar direction after the second devastating loss of a family member he’s experienced.

“Is she down?” his boyfriend whispers, and he jumps a little because he was too lost in thought to have heard Eddie approaching, “sorry, did I scare you?”

“Not your fault, just wasn’t paying attention,” Chimney sighs, taking a few steps toward Eddie and hesitantly putting his hand on his waist, choosing to ignore how forced and stilted it’s felt lately, “is Chris asleep, too?”

“Yeah, took two bedtime stories instead of one, though,” Eddie chuckles, “people talk about the terrible twos but no one mentions how awful three year olds can be.”

“I’m not looking forward to that with Lulu,” he laughs, bringing his other hand to the other side of his boyfriend’s waist, “babies are tough too but no coherent talking means no talking back.”

“It’ll be your turn before you know it,” Eddie retorts with a smirk, before he freezes for a second and bites down on his lip, “well, my turn again, too, I guess. Since we’re one big happy family.”

“One big happy family,” he repeats back to him, “because you decided to move in with a guy who already had a kid.”

“Because I also have a kid,” Eddie snorts, “I think we’re set right? No more kids, we don’t need anymore kids.”

“Definitely not,” Chimney agrees emphatically, glancing outside at the snow falling, “I love Luna, and I love Chris but… I wasn’t expecting either of them. Kind of have my hands full.”

“I know, babe,” Eddie sighs sympathetically, cupping his face in between his hands, “you were dealt a bad card, thrown into a horrific, terrifying situation… but you’re doing so well. You’re a great daddy to Luna and a great bonus dad to Chris and I admire you so much for how you’ve handled all this. One of the many reasons I’m proud to call you my boyfriend.”

“Oh, don’t get all sappy on me now,” Chimney teases, blushing as he looks into his lover’s eyes, “I’d say you’re actually just trying to seduce me, but maybe you’re buttering me up again to try and convince me to get a cat…?”

“Babe, we’re gay and raising two kids together in a cabin in the snowy mountain woods,” he deadpans, “we need a cat to complete the cliche.”

“I don’t want a cat.”

“Why not?”

“Do we really need to have this argument again, Eddie?” he laughs, raising his eyebrows as he pulls back and gives Eddie a gentle, playful push, “shouldn’t we be in bed, anyway? The kids are sleeping and I have an early shift tomorrow.”

“Well, we could be in bed sleeping, or we could--”

“Promise you won’t bring up getting a cat in the middle of sex?”

“You drive a hard bargain, but I promise.”

It feels good, it always does, and he feels safe and loved and respected with Eddie but deep down he knows the spark is gone, and he’s fairly certain that Eddie knows it, too. Maybe it’s normal, right? The honeymoon period doesn’t last forever and every relationship goes through dull patches, he’s been told. Maybe the spark isn’t gone forever; they just have to find a way to bring it back. But how?

Maybe he’ll just have to agree to getting that stupid cat.

.

It’s dark, too dark for someone to be knocking on his door even if Buck didn’t have the beginnings of a hangover starting to settle in. Had he sent a drunk text and not remembered it? Maybe he did and now Eddie and Chimney were checking to make sure he’s still alive.

It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, and it’s probably good that someone cares if he lives or dies, but he’s not in the mood for it and wants to get some sleep before the inevitable headache and nausea make it too uncomfortable to do so.

“Edmundo, Howard, I appreciate your interest in my wellbeing but,” he grumbles, swinging the door open without even looking at who’s on his porch, “I’m fine and I need to sleep.”

“Who the fuck are Edmundo and Howard?”

“Wait… Maddie.”

“Hello, Evan,” she scoffs, pushing her way into his home and slamming the door behind her, “care to tell me why I haven’t heard from you in over a year?”

“Maddie, it’s really you?”

“Yes, it’s really me, and maybe you’d be able to tell that I was real and that I wasn’t a mirage if you didn’t reek of whiskey,” she shouts, rising up on her tiptoes to try and get a good look in his eyes, “how drunk are you? And is anybody else even here? Are you just drunk by yourself at 2 in the morning in the middle of fucking nowhere? Because I don’t think there are any _clubs_ around here, and judging by all the fucking bottles I see around your living room… Jesus, Evan, what the hell have you gotten yourself into now?”

“Uh, nice to see you, too?”

“Now is not the time for jokes,” she huffs, tone deadly serious as she practically pushes him down into a chair.

“Maddie… how did you even find me?”

“What, did you think I would just give up?” she asks, and he’s seeing two of her but both of her faces look offended, “did you really think that if enough time passed I would stop trying to find you? I certainly didn’t expect to find you in the mountains outside Lake Tahoe but I did; I was _always_ going to find you. I’m a big sister, it’s what I do.”

“So being an older sister is about stalking?”

“It’s not stalking when you try to find your beloved brother who disappeared without so much as a goodbye,” she spits out through gritted teeth, “it’s called love.”

“Do mom and dad know you’ve found me?”

“No, but I’ll make sure you make that phone call tomorrow,” she sighs, folding her arms in front of her chest, “if there’s even cell service out here in the wild, wild west.”

“Funny, Madeline, really funny.”

“Do you even get any human interaction out here? How do you make money? How can you afford all this beer and liquor and this cabin out in god knows the fuck where?”

“Okay, god knows the fuck where is a little harsh given the fact that you were able to find me,” he rolls his eyes, “and I’m a tech specialist who works from home helping idiots fix their wifi. And I have neighbors-- did you not look to your right? There’s another cabin out here. There’s this fun gay couple and their two kids that aren’t actually related but it’s whatever, they’re a nice family.”

“You… I cannot believe you,” she snaps, “but we’re not going to have any substantial conversation until you’re sober, so let’s get your ass to bed. And don’t expect me to baby you tomorrow when you’re sober, alright? I’m too mad at you.”

“Kay, it’s fine, I can handle it on my own.”

“Yeah, that’s real reassuring,” she says with an eye roll, “come on, bedtime. We’ll have a screaming match in the morning.”


End file.
